Noble Playground

Noble Playground came into existence in 1939 as part of a proposal to extend the Bronx River Parkway from Bronxville to the Soundview section of the Bronx. The Westchester portion of the highway, completed in 1925, was one of the first major thoroughfares to include parkland and landscaping in its design. Natural features along the road were left intact, and where unnatural objects were unavoidable, every effort was made to cover them with a bit of nature. For the Bronx extension, Robert Moses (1888-1981) followed the same principles, combining roadway with parkland. In February 1938, he requested the "acquisition of property for a parkway designated as Bronx River Parkway, southern extension… and laying out [a series of] public parks" from Watson Avenue to the south to 177th Street to the north. The Board of Estimate agreed to the proposal and the Work Projects Administration built the park. On December 4, 1939, Noble Playground on Noble Avenue became the 306th park to be…